The Return of The Witch
by Belladler
Summary: They thought she was dead. They saw her die! But... could Bellatrix Lestrange possibly come back?
1. Chapter 1

Harry James Potter was sick of fame. He was sick of going to Diagon Alley under his Invisibility Cloak, sick of coming home every day to the mountain of fan mail, usually containing several bottles of love potion disguised as "chocolate," and, most of all, sick of the screaming. The constant, un-abating _screaming_ of very silly girls.

Now, he collapsed into his easy chair by the fire, throwing his head back, and letting out a groan. Someone had stepped on his Invisibility Cloak in Diagon Alley, where he had been picking up some Broom Wax for Ginny, and the ensuing melee was more than he could bear. James was asleep, sucking happily on a toy, and Ginny sat at the table, sorting through the mail. Harry could fold himself into the chair, and brood as he hadn't done since he was a teenager.

"It's not as if I saved _their_ lives. Most of the time I just got lucky, and had ideas at the last moment. They act as though it was all a blaze of glory, spells and cloaks and, and, I don't know. They forget that there was cold, and death, and losing sometimes and..." He trailed off, gazing at Ginny, who had a small smile on her face as she continued putting aside fragrant pink envelopes.

"You've heard this all before, haven't you?" Harry gazed at his wife, who raised an eyebrow pointedly. He sighed. She laughed aloud.

"Harry, why don't you get over to Ron and Hermione's for a while? I can ask Hannah over to keep an eye on Jamie for a while, and then I'll come too, once I'm done with the mail. We haven't had a good catch up in ages." Ginny grinned at her husband. "Oh, go on, you know you want to."

Harry couldn't resist taking her in his arms and kissing her, before Disapparating.

Arriving in Puddleby, only one village over, Harry strode briskly along the street. He didn't think there'd be anyone who recognized him here, but as a precaution, he ducked into an alley and performed a Disillusionment Charm, at which he had become very good. Arriving on the porch of the sprawling (and Unplottable) house where his two best friends in the world lived, he withdrew the charm and rapped on the door.

A wild barking sounded from within, along with some scuffling and muttered curses. A flash of red hair sped past the window, then dove to the floor. The door was opened a crack. A face, framed in bushy hair, appeared.

"Come in, hurry" whispered Hermione frantically. "Flossie's going bonkers, she's much too excited, she'll run out into the street if we're not careful. Come _in_ Harry." And with that, she grabbed his arm and yanked him into the house.

Ron Weasley lay on the floor, on top of an enormous Irish setter, who was wriggling with all her might. The dog's red fur matched Ron's untidy mop of hair to a tee. The dog finally triumphed; throwing Ron off, she galloped up to Harry, leaping and whining.

"Hello Flossie, who's a good dog? You are, yes you are. Hello mate." Harry grinned at his disheveled friend, who, having gotten up, was scratching the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Blimey Hermione, couldn't you let up just for one night? She's stopped me just Petrifying the bloody mutt whenever someone comes to the door," he added, by way of explanation.

"Oh, shut up Ronald. Harry, why don't you come on in to the sitting room, I'll get us some tea." Hermione waved her wand in the direction of the kitchen, where clunking could be heard. Moments later, three mugs of freshly prepared tea came zooming towards them.

"Thanks, Hermione. Listen, Gin'll be along in a minute, you might make her some." Harry caught his tea, and followed Ron into the sitting room.

Indeed, it seemed that it took even less than a minute for Ginny to arrive. A knock sounded at the door, but before Ron or Hermione could arise, Ginny burst into the sitting room, her eyes wild.

"Oi, sister mine, may I remind you that this is MY house, and-" Ron began, but Harry shushed him impatiently. He had seen the expression in his wife's eyes. He stood, and approached her.

"Ginny, what is it? What's wrong?"

Her face was deathly pale. She held a crumpled letter in her hand.

"It's her. She's back. It's Bellatrix."


	2. Chapter 2

As a thousand questions dashed through Harry's head, he watched Ron rise, as though in a dream. His friend crossed the sitting room to Ginny.

"What d'you mean she's back?"

Ginny said nothing, merely stared at Ron. Ron grabbed her by the shoulders.

"I SAID WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" He shook her. Harry leapt at Ron, blind with rage and fear.

"GET YOUR EFFING HANDS OFF MY WIFE." He barely felt his fist connect with Ron's cheek; his wand was forgotten in his back pocket; nothing existed except terror and fury.

And then they went down in a tangle of limbs, an absurd parody of Ron's earlier tussle with Flossie. Indeed, the dog was there, sniffing, whining, and Hermione's and Ginny's scream intermingled into a shrill whistle in Harry's ears, and he and Ron lay on the ground, panting and still. It was as though some understanding passed between them. They simply lay, winded by their own panic.

Suddenly Harry realized that a third body had hit the floor, and became aware of Ginny's voice, cajoling, gasping. He rose, but it was not Ginny on the floor, but Hermione, curled into a ball and gasping, crying as though her heart would burst, shaking all over. The sound seemed to turn off in Harry's ears for a moment, as he watched her, horror coursing through him. Ron leapt away, his mouth working. He was obviously saying something, but Harry couldn't hear it. Then Ron hit the floor next to Hermione and took her in his arms, and the sound seemed to come back on again.

"She- she can't- Ron, she'll hurt me!" Hermione's white face was a mess of tears. Harry noticed for the first time that he had knocked his teacup of the side table, where it had fallen and broken. The shards lay in a puddle of tea. He stared at them dully, Hermione's and Ron's voices piercing him like knives.

"Hermione, what is it? What's wrong?" Ginny had moved in on Hermione now.

"SHE TORTURED ME!" Hermione screamed it; she sounded mad, and more afraid than Harry had ever heard her before. "She'll come back, and she'll do it again, and oh Ron..." Hermione was shaking so much that she was bumping Flossie intermittently with her quivering leg.

"She can't be back." said Harry in a low voice, drawing near Ginny. "If she's back, then... could he be back too?" Ginny stared up at him.

"Maybe."

His insides contracted, and he felt as though he would be sick. He wanted to join Hermione there on the floor.

Could Voldemort possibly come back?


End file.
